High Tech Versus Hands-On

The Role of Technology in Early Learning

By Jennifer Dowd

In this article:
Child's Play: Keeping it Hands-On
Back to Basics
Role Playing—with Computers?

All those buzzers and blinking lights on kids' toys today sure make them seem more appealing. But is all that technology helping your child learn—or might it actually be hindering his development? Read on to learn the role of high tech toys in your child's learning world.

Today our children have electronic gadgets and toys for every aspect of playtime. They have ride-on fire trucks and police cars spewing the sounds of sirens, whistles and even voices. There are toy tools and workbenches that pound, saw, and buzz through make-believe projects. We even have computer software for babies! Navigating the maze of children's playthings was hard enough before the explosion of computerized and electronic toys. What's a well-meaning parent supposed to do now?

These days, parents, and their budgets, are torn between the old reliables of the toy world and their more expensive, hi-tech cousins. Do babies really need computer software? Will they be left behind when they reach kindergarten if their moms and dads let them play with bowls and spoons?

While many experts in the field of childhood education agree that technology has its place in learning, deciding how much technology is enough depends on a number of factors.

Child's Play: Keeping it Hands-On

According to Susan Haugland of the ERIC (Educations Resource Information Center) Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, children younger than the age of three benefit the most from hands-on play. Since children this age learn through their bodies, they respond best to activities requiring the use of their eyes, mouths, hands, and legs. Haugland feels that computers are not helpful in teaching the developmental skills that children this age need to master: crawling, walking, talking, and making friends.

Most computers and fancy electronic toys require only the press of a button—simply not enough physical stimulation to offer much educational benefit to young children. For babies, interactive toys, such as those where a child shakes a rattle and a stuffed toy that responds with different movements and sounds, may offer a bridge to physical learning not previously available from computerized infant and toddler toys. Most experts agree, however, that babies and young children under the age of three benefit most from active, hands-on play where they are allowed the greatest freedom to explore their environments and the real people surrounding them.

Back to Basics

A growing number of parents encourage their children to play with traditional toys, and have spurned the development of classic toy companies. Cloth and wooden toys are sold by Our Greenhouse and Sum-Bo-Shine boast simple non-toxic playthings that allow for loads of creativity and imagination.

Megan White, a proponet for traditional toys, said, "I was troubled by the amount of insensitive toys on the market. I wanted my children to play with real toys." According to White, alternative playthings are a well-recieved by parents. "In our fast-paced society, many parents find it refreshing to purchase high quality, heirloom toys that allow greater freedom for a child's fantasy and creativity. I've seen children entertained for hours by a simple set of blocks."